Super bloom expected at Flower Fields

CARLSBAD —
It is expected to be one of the best seasons ever at the iconic Flower Fields.

Rain has
drenched the fields giving millions of ranunculus flowers all the power they
need for a spectacular season, said General Manager Fred Clarke. And, some are
already coming into form just in time for opening day on March 1.

However,
the festive atmosphere was quickly washed away when Clarke said he realized the
forecast called for more rain on March 2. Regardless, the season is upon the
Flower Fields and he said expectations are for the Flower Fields to, perhaps,
double its annual visitor count of 75,000 people.

And thanks
to social media, more people from throughout the country have been enlightened
to natural beauty of the Flower Fields, Clarke said.

“We’ve had
a marvelous uptick with social media,” he explained. “This place is a real experience
to come here. It’s a symbol of the city.”

Planting
is done in stages, every three to four weeks, so each section has different
timing, or else the season would be shortened drastically. The northern field
was planted in July, an odd time Clarke said, but the staff was able to provide
shade covering to manipulate the flowers and provide a sort fall feeling. As
for the rest, the second most northern field was planted in September and are
starting to bloom.

As for the commercial operation, Clarke said only about 1 percent of the flowers are cut and shipped. The rest are for the fields, where workers identify the best flowers and dig up the bulbs.

A wet winter is leading to an expected super bloom at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad. Opening day is March 1 for iconic field. Photo by Steve Puterski.

Those
bulbs are replanted the following season and the seeds are harvested to ensure
the best quality of flower for the following season. The fields cover 55 acres
plus an additional 40 acres, which is designated for the North 40 project.

“It’s
almost beyond comprehension to see this,” Clarke said. If someone asked what
the best time is to see it all … is the middle of April. Pay your taxes and go
to the Flower Fields. The color will go all the way down.”

And while
the flowers are the main draw, Clarke said he has focused on evolving the
offerings, such as adding food trucks and a dessert bar featuring treats from
the Carlsbad Strawberry Company. He also built three Adirondack chairs twice
the size of a normal one, giving the new ones a “Alice in Wonderland” vibe.

They will
be placed throughout the fields for so visitors can take pictures and have a
bit of fun. Another feature, which was introduced several years ago, is the
Sweet Pea Maze, which at one point became more labyrinth than maze, Clarke
said.

He said they scaled down the difficulty, but it still remains a fun challenge to navigate.

The iconic Flower Fields in Carlsbad is expecting one of its best seasons this year due to heavy rains. Opening day is March 1. Photo by Steve Puterski.

The Flower
Fields also donate money to low-income schools to allow for field trips for
about 7,000 students per year, Clarke added. It’s one of the highlights of the
year.

The North
40 project, meanwhile, is a commercial proposal for restaurants and commercial
spaces featuring farm-to-table offerings form the crops at the fields. Those
crops include blueberries, coffee and olives.

“We’ve
been working on that and the land use is for agriculture, so whatever we do has
to satisfy that,” Clarke said.